The Storyteller
by Gothic-Warrior
Summary: A historian who tries to make things interesting for the class he teaches gets caught in a large power struggle between a chancellor and king for the throne. Yes, I do suck at summaries, just read.
1. The Holy Blades

**Chapter One: The Holy Blades**

"Now now, class…"

A lone teacher tried to speak to her pupils, who were up and about amongst the classroom as usual. However, one could not expect 29 children, varying in height, hair color, and clothing to keep quiet within one small wish. No, she would have to get louder.

"CLASS!" The room would fall silent, and the pupils would take their seats. They knew Mrs. Septim would not take much more after she would admonish the class. "Now, as you know, it is the last day of school, which means Mr. Benedict is going to give another visit!"

The whole class groaned. Mr. Benedict was a very boring man to them. He would always dress in the same clothes: black robe, black hood, leather boots, and a solitary glove covering his right hand. His left, on the other hand, would not be a hand at all. Rather, it was made completely of cold steel. Whenever the children asked him about it, he would always reply with a rather stern "Oh, I lost it in a hunting accident." It wouldn't amuse them one bit. They expected a grand tale, when all they got was the same state-sanctioned history lesson. It did vary, of course, but the government left out all of the exciting details! No bloody battles, no gut-wrenching deaths! No drops of romance, the girls would cry! "But…but ma'am," one boy would cry out. "Mr. Benedict's stories are so…blah! Can't you just hire a new speaker!"

"Yea! Yea!"

"I'm sorry class, but Mr. Benedict is the only historian that is authorized by the King. And as long as he is, he's the onl-"

Lady Septim would not be able to finish her sentence, as the door knob would slowly turn clockwise. Once it stopped, the door would be pushed open, and there would stand the despised man simply known as Mr. Benedict. He would walk in, taking down his hood to reveal his straight brown hair. His nose would be relatively small for a Hylian man, yet his ears would be a tad larger than the average adult male.

"Good morning class!" he would say as he smiled, longing for the equally ecstatic greeting that he had never received from any of the schools.

"Hello, Mr. Benedict…" Some of the class would put their heads down on their desks in boredom. The rest would sit bent over, their groggy eyes about to shut.

"Today, I will tell you all about the legendary Hero of Time!" He would smile, hoping that for once, they would to. Once again, his wish had failed. There was no response this time, only blank stares towards the man who was unusually clothed in black during the midst of the heat wave.

"Now class, Mr. Benedict deserves some respect. After all, he is willing to teach you when he probably has better things to do! You sho-"

As she would admonish the class yet again, the historian would think to himself for a bit. Then, when an idea sparked, he would simply smirk. "How would all of you like to learn about something…non-sanctioned? Something that I shouldn't be teaching you?"

The idea of a forbidden story would immediately cause all the children to light up in glee. Forbidden…just the word would seem like a god to them! They would immediately smile and pay attention to the young man.

"I thought so. Now…"

"Mr. Benedict! You can't do that! You could lose your job!"

"Heh," he would chuckle. "The King himself would pardon me for what I'm about to tell. Do not worry about me; I will have it under control. Now, where shall I begin….Ah, yes."

"Children, I know you were all taught the same thing that your ancestors were taught. The goddesses did indeed come down upon this galaxy, bearing the gifts of land, life, and law. However…did you know that they descended upon this a second time?" The class would shake their heads horizontally, indicating that none of them knew. However, Mr. Benedict expected this thing, as very few people knew of this part of the story. The loss of history is something that happens over time, after all. "Well, upon bestowing the gifts, they ascended into the heavens, letting the world take its course. However, that later proved to be a mistake…"

"A giant would rise from these lands. This giant was not a goron, nor was it Ganon. Rather, it was an even more terrible force. They would call him Kronos, and he was filled with magical power, particularly the power to control time! Using this power, he would start to enslave the other life among the land. Essentially, the law was destroyed. Upon hearing of this, the goddesses would once again come down upon the Sacred Realm. To their surprise, Kronos would be right in front of them, about to capture the Golden Triangles for himself! Din, Farore, and Nayru would split the triangles into three and take their respective emblems. From the Triforce of Power would form a great claymore, which the great Din would wield with both hands. From Courage would form a longsword capable of splitting the toughest armor in two. Last would be Wisdom, which would form another longsword, but this one could split into two. Together, the goddesses would take on the titan."

"The battle would last for years and years. Sometimes the goddesses would get the upper hand, but Kronos would hold it most of the time. In fact, the goddesses were almost defeated! However, their blades would merge into one! This sword would contain the properties of both light and dark. Essentially, it would be composed of conflicting forces. With one swing from Din, Kronos would be banished into a different realm, where he would never return. The Triforce would reappear, and the blades would disappear into the earth. Upon this, the goddesses would leave once again, as with the law restored, they would not be needed…at least, not yet."

They would all be speechless. The entire class would say nothing, which would leave Mr. Benedict worried that he had bored them to death again. However, a lone boy, having to have just started school not long ago, would stand up and force his hands together in the form of a clap. Then, an older girl would rise. Then another. And another! Soon, the entire class would be giving Mr. Benedict a standing ovation! It was interesting, it was bold, and it was DIFFERENT! At the site of their cheer, Mr. Benedict himself would be gleeful. Not once before had he seen a single child so interested in the history of the state! Oh, he would grin from ear to ear, letting out an occasional chuckle.

"Tell us more!" they would yell. "Tell us more!"

He would sigh and turn his smile upside-down, "I'm sorry children, but it is a quarter till noon, and you must eat lunch and learn your arithmetic! That is much more important than a silly man talking about what happened in the past. You all need to focus on th-"

"Not necessarily," interjected Mrs. Septim. "Today's math is merely review. If you could just wait till they finish eating, I'm sure they'd let you tell more. How about it, class?"

"Yay! Mr. Benedict, please stay!" They would all yell out in unison, even those not interested in history. Math was generally the class's least favorite subject, and they would accept ANYTHING to get it not to be taught, even if it had to be a boring man from the castle.

"I…I would be delighted…" He was shocked at the proposal, but more so at the response. Yet, he could not deny the children the gift of knowledge, particularly if they wanted.

"Okay class. Lunch hour is upon us! Come back at 12:45 so Mr. Benedict can start immediately. Dismissed!" The class would then rush out of the schoolhouse, running to their respective homes so their mothers could feed them. "Mr. Benedict, would you like some brandy?"

"…Yes, yes I would." He would only have 45 minutes to prepare a full story, so he pulled out a book and began fact checking, hoping everything was perfect for his extended lesson.


	2. The Beginning of the War

**Chapter 2: The Beginning of the War**

It had been 45 minutes, and the class had returned. This time, their young faces were bright and cheery, and they were actually excited about a lesson for once. Mrs. Septim would sit quietly at her desk, grading yesterday's theology test. For once, she had time in class to grade so she could have a night on the town with the gals later. But for now, she was stuck in her job.

"Now, my children," Mr. Benedict would rise up from his chair, being sure to finish off his last shot of liquor first. "It is time to speak of the great Civil War that plagued the continent merely a few decades ago. Surely your parents remember this, but you ma-"

"MR. BENEDICT!" shouted a girl in the back row. "WHAT'S A CIVIL WAR!"

"Oh, yes…" he stopped what he was doing and provided a definition for the young lass. "A civil war is when the people of the same basic region, this country for example, fight each other."

"But why would they wanna fight?" pondered the student, slanting her head in query, causing her ponytail to go with it.

"Oh, it could be for a variety of reasons. Power, money, fame…or just disagreements about any old thing. Now, this civil war started in question because of two people: General Barbarossa of the Hylian Army and Shaman Tamika Donton, ruler of the Shiekah of Kakariko, up north. The King of Hyrule at the time, Uriel Harkinian, had long expected his subordinate to be of a malicious nature, yet he remained too good of a general to be replaced. Eventually…Uriel the Forger was killed." A gasp went throughout the entire classroom, except for little Timmy in the back, who came in after the intial sound.

"The assassins were later confirmed to be of the Shiekah tribe, yet Barbarossa, who was rapidly gaining power over the Chancellor, had made false claims that it was the combined efforts of the Protectors of the Elements, whom you would know as the Kokiri, the Zoras, and the Goron tribe. The Chancellor and the emergency government, who was formed as Lord Harkinian had no known heirs to his throne, kept calling Barbarossa's claims false. Yet, the man was an excellent speaker, and convinced the people to join his side. Soon enough, a massive riot would occur, killing the Chancellor and his council. The city unanimously agreed to put Barbarossa in place…that, my children, is when it began."

"When what began?" a student in the front piped up.

"Hmm? Oh, the first battle. Soon after the appointing of Barbarossa, he sent the 1st Hussar Cavalry, the elite force of the Hylian Army. Led by Lt. General Jean Paturade, they would head to the Zoran Canyon that connects the Great Field with the Domain in an attempt to secure a foothold to control the water passage. However, someone tipped the King off, someone to this day who is still unknown. In return, the Hussars would meet the DSD, the Zoran "Special Forces" if you wi-"

Timmy queried, "What does DSD stand for?"

"Deep Sea Divers. They don't need water to function, it's just a name after all," he would reply. "The first blow would be given to the Zoras; the one thing that the Hylians had over them was collapsible mobile artillery. The catapults would annihilate the entire front line, save for Commander Domasi Arrian, who was mysteriously unharmed. The battle itself would end up being surprisingly short; though the Hylians had artillery, the Zora were quick to disassemble them, as they had to be in the front so there would be no friendly fire. Zora, Hylian, Zora, HYLIAN! The bodies would pile up and wash down the strong current of the river! The snipers would pick each other off till none were left standing. The other foot soldiers? This was not a particularly good day for the Hylians, as the current of the river had been too strong to cross, which would prevent them from building makeshift bridges to facilitate them. With no way to cross, the Lt. General would have to retreat."

"Did they go back?" The entire class asked Mr. Benedict in almost complete unison, with 1 or 2 squeeky voices being a tad late.

"Yes, yes they did. Many times, in fact. Yet, every time they did, they'd be pushed back again by Arrian's forces. The 1st Hussars were no match for the sheer experience of the DSD. Eventually, Barbarossa would give up, and would open a second front: The Deku Forest. The heavily armed 37th Infantry, under direct control of Barbarossa himself, would have much, MUCH better luck against the Woads of the Kokiri."

"But…" Little Charlie in the front row would stand up and proceed to ask a question. "What about the Gorons and the residents of Kakariko? What of them?"

"Excellent question!" the historian would exclaim, flipping open the pages of his black book, then stopping somewhat towards the end. "The Shiekah, as being a technical extension of the city of Hyrule, allied with Barbarossa. Shaman Donton appointed her apprentice, Eva Dra-"

Suddenly, the door's knob turned and pushed open. On the other end would be a solitary Castle Guard, giving a royal salute, before calling out, "Sir, Chancellor Beaumont has called you at the throne room. We must go immediately. It concerns the king."

"Well…" Mr. Benedict would reluctantly close up the book, shaking his head in disappointment of what happened. He stepped down from the oak podium he had been standing on since he had arrived. "I'm sorry children, but I must take my leave," Disappointment filled the eyes of the children as some sighed in regret. "I promise all of you, I shall return. Please, just wait for next week…" Even his statement wouldn't enlighten the children. Saddened by their faces, Julius would trudge towards the door, where he'd be interrupted.

"Mr. Benedict!" called out Mrs. Septim. "May I have a word with you outside?" The history professor tilted his head towards the guard, who would make a small yet noticeable nod. Both Mrs. Septim and Mr. Benedict stepped outside and faced one another.

"Professor…"she started, putting her hand on the black book that he carried around. He turned it to the cover, which showed a shiny, ebony Triforce upside-down. "This book is very rare…how did you manage to acquire such an artifact?"

"I…it was…" he stammered. "'It was a family heirloom…before my father disappeared, he gave it to me."

"Oh…I'm sorry," she said, showing sympathy. "But, may I ask…" She slowly let go of the book, letting go once she reached the edge. "Who…no, what was your father's name?"

"His name?" he asked back. "Oh, it was-"

"Lord Benedict, we must go!" the guard shouted, taking having somewhat of a large head start.

"Oh, don't worry about it then. If the Chancellor wants you," she said, "then you must go. It's just a petty detail." She walked back to her classroom door, and spoke as she proceeded to shut it, "Take care, and see you next week!"

"Yes…petty detail…" He started to run along, attempting to catch up to the guard.


	3. Ill Future

The soldier and the historian had now walked their way through the bustling town, filled with people going back to work from the afternoon lunch rush. Occasionally, some people would get out of his way, as the bodyguard in front of him signified importance. Others, however, felt that their jobs were more important than showing respect, and would bump into him during the rush, scuffing up his robes. Yet, Mr. Benedict did not care, as he was still in euphoria after what had happened at the local school. He let the citizens get away with what they were doing…then again, there was not much he could do about it in the first place.

They would walk out of the hustle and bustle of the market and would come into the winding road that led to Hyrule Castle. Things had changed since the war, and the road was no longer winding. Rather, it was pretty much a straight road that was formed due to damage towards the end of the war before Barbarossa's death. So, instead of the multiple checkpoints along the road, there was just one…but it was only a one way road, so only one was needed. They walked up the gate, where the guard immediately recognized them. The gate was soon risen up, and they walked through, passing over the moat, and into the main castle doors. Inside the outer courtyard, the Chancellor awaits.

"Ah…Lord Benedict…" His accent was odd to come from a Hylian. It would resemble a Highlander, those who live in the Woods. A cabin boy was not typically one to gain the position of Chancellor, yet he was a friend of the previous one. "Please…come inside…" He would begin to walk into the castle interior. The clothes he wore were somewhat scuffed up, but he was known for partaking in hunting and other sportsman activities of the sort. The historian would follow him in, eager to find out the news that he had been called back for. If it concerned the king, something must be going on.

The interior of the castle was renovated from damage caused on the final day of the war, when two defectors stormed into the castle and, through some ungodly way, managed to wreak total havoc upon the place. Numerous guards were slaughtered, as well as the Chancellor and the old Kakariko Village Chief. The two men left quite a bit of bloodshed…so much that it took until a few years ago till the castle was entirely cleaned. It was one of the bloodiest outcomes in Hylian history, yet it saved an entire continent from war.

The castle itself, having been done with its recent renovations, was now a bridal veil white. All of its walls, marble staircases, floors, ceilings, columns, etc., were all tinted white. It was supposed to be a symbol of rebirth after all of the past corruption had finished, and a new legit king had taken the throne. Yet, that did not change anything else. Only the areas viewable to the public and some nobles were painted white. The rest was still grey, mostly due to the running out of funding.

They would walk through the Grand Hall into the throne room. There were paintings of past kings, along with their treasures spread among the walls, along with a plethora of soldiers to guard them, as some of them were worth quite a lot, especially a pendant said to be dated back to one of the first kings of Hyrule. Yet, there was something missing from the throne room: It's holder, Frederich Harkinian, was nowhere in sight.

"Um…Chancellor Beaumont," Julius queried. "Where…is King Harkinian?"

"Please, follow me. I have something to show you." Lord Beaumont never showed his face to the historian. Instead, he chose to just walk on up the stairs and into what would be the Royal Quarters. Mr. Benedict had no choice but to run after him, as he wasn't really permitted anywhere in the royal area. Once inside, he saw a shocking sight…

"KING HARKINIAN!"

Lying on the bed would be King Frederich Harkinian the Defector, legendary ender of the Great Civil War, holding his heavy heart tightly to his chest with his weakening left arm. His breaths would be short and rapid and his body would be of a different color. The regal red clothing he wore would have a darker tint to it in some spots, mostly due to various cuts and bruises along his body. The royal chamber itself was one of the various rooms to still have a color of gray.

"They don't know exactly what it is…" Beaumont whispered. "Jaundice…odd breathing rhythms…hearing loss…no ones sure what to make of it. Our doctors are working around the clock to treat him. He's been like this for…not more than a week, I suppose."

At that point, Mr. Benedict reached into his pocket and grabbed a small ebony medallion…it resembled the Triforce that was on his history book earlier. "Please!" he pleaded to the acting ruler. "Please, let me heal him! I…I know healing arts! I can fix this!"

"Now now, Mr. Benedict…the doctors know what's best." Slowly, Beaumont would walk over to the historian and place his hand on Benedict's shoulder at an attempt to ease him. "Besides, healing arts couldn't do a thing…if we don't even know what this is, how could you fix it? Hmm? There's nothing you can do…"

The historian reached a hand out as to interrupt him. "Bu…but…" Slowly, he would stare at the dying king, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. Sadly, he would come to no avail, and would slowly lower his hand down, looking in the same direction in shame. "I…I suppose you're right…he's going to live, right? After all, there is no living heir to the throne…that would put the kingdom in peril, no?"

"N…n…No, he shall not die. I can assure you of that. Just please…leave this place, the king needs his rest after all, no? You are dismissed to your study." The chancellor then immediately walked away, turning to the doctors into the process to discuss the king's health with them. The historian, however, would be forced to turn away, and would walk slowly out of the ruby colored room, staring at the ground. Before he opened the door, he'd slowly turn his head to see the dying hero of the Hylian Empire, and would shake his head in confusion. With that, he opened and shut one of the double doors, and proceeded to leave for the library…the study…his only home.


End file.
